


badges

by ifreet



Category: due South
Genre: Comment Fic, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-01
Updated: 2011-03-01
Packaged: 2017-10-16 00:45:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/166636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifreet/pseuds/ifreet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Vsee, a story about wee Fraser's scout troop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	badges

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vsee](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=vsee).



Ben studied his paper. Every t had a cross through it, every i had a dot, and every sentence ended in a period. He peered at the small chalkboard leaning against the ladder back chair opposite, his legs kicking back and forth beneath his chair. He raised his hand.

"Yes, Benton," Mrs. M said.

"I'm done," he announced. Joon shot him a dirty look.

Mrs. M looked at his paper. "You still need to sign it." She touched a finger to the bottom of the page. "Write your name at the bottom."

He frowned. "But it already says my name." He'd written it first, 'My name is Benton,' right after 'Dear Pen Pal' and before 'I like summer and blue.'

Mrs. M shrugged. "Even so. Letters begin with 'Dear' and end with your name."

"Done!" Joon shouted. " _And_ I signed mine."

Ben scowled at her and wrote his name quickly, before Innusiq beat him, too.

**************

By the time Mrs. M handed each of them an envelope, Ben had forgotten to be expecting it. Joon nearly tore her letter in half trying to open it; Ben's was hardly better. Innusiq opened his almost neatly with his knife, which was unfair. Gran still said Ben was too small for a pocket knife, but he and Innusiq were nearly the same size even if Ben was younger. Gran had been unmoved by his logic.

"Mine's by a _girl_ ," Joon announced, affronted.

'I like summer, too. Blue is nice, but I like red better. I live in Chicago. Is Tsiigetchic a real place? Do you have pets? I have a fish.' It was nearly two pages long.

Ben was re-reading it, trying to remember his first letter. He wasn't sure what he'd written, and it was frustrating, like reading a puzzle missing pieces. Joon stuck her chin over his shoulder. "Ugh, yours is a girl, too. This is stupid."

"You're a girl," Innusiq pointed out.

"Not when I'm a boy scout. I don't want to write a girl."

"Not even for a badge?" Innusiq asked. A tricky question: Joon always wanted badges.

"I will," Ben said. He picked up a pencil and paper and a book to write on (Gran would have fits, but at Mrs. M's there was never enough table space). Innusiq did the same. Joon declared that the letter writing badge was dumb, and she was going to find a better one. She laid on the floor, paging through the scouting manual. Ben started his letter with 'Dear' and ended with his name, and in between answered all her questions. He looked at his letter and the one he'd written. He hadn't asked any questions. He crossed out his name, wrote 'Is Chicago nice?' and wrote his name again. Mrs. M showed him how to address the envelope.

Joon had earned three more badges, and he and Innusiq each earned two by the time Gran said it was time to move. Joon hugged him and told him he had to write them, because he was good at writing. Ben didn't think he would. People didn't always write back.


End file.
